The option for eligible U.S. visa applicants to use the dropbox system in Nigeria has been discontinued, signaling a major change in the visa renewal process. According to sources from Nairametrics, the service—which once allowed applicants to submit their documents without attending an in-person interview—has been removed from the appointment system.
While the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has not yet released an official announcement about this change, many applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have found that the dropbox feature no longer appears on the online platform. Some believe that the decision may be linked to earlier executive orders from the Trump era.
This development comes amid a growing backlog of visa applications. Many applicants had already experienced long waiting times for dropbox appointments—some reporting waits of nearly a year for a physical appointment. In January, dropbox slots were reportedly unavailable in Lagos, pushing many applicants to seek alternatives in Abuja. With the dropbox option completely removed, all U.S. visa applicants in Nigeria must now undergo the traditional in-person interview process, reverting to procedures used before 2020.
Key Points to Understand
The U.S. Visa Dropbox (Interview Waiver) program was originally introduced to simplify the visa renewal process by allowing certain applicants to drop off their application materials without having to appear for an interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. To qualify for the program, applicants had to meet specific requirements, including:
• Previous Visa Validity: Holding a U.S. visa that expired within the past 24 months.
• Issuance Location: The previous visa had to be issued in Nigeria as a full-validity, multiple-entry visa.
• Consistent Visa Category: Applying for the same type of visa as the one previously granted.
• Clean Record: Having no history of overstays, unauthorized work, or criminal convictions in the United States.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, eligibility was extended to include those with visas expired within 48 months, with the goal of reducing in-person contact. However, the dropbox service has experienced interruptions before—most notably in 2018 during President Trump’s administration, when concerns about visa overstays led to its suspension and a return to in-person interviews.
With the recent removal of the dropbox feature, Nigerian applicants will now be required to complete the full in-person interview process, which is expected to further extend appointment wait times. This change is particularly significant for business travelers, students, and frequent visitors who previously benefited from a faster, interview-free renewal process.
